The present invention relates generally to safety eyewear and more particularly to a safety eyewear including a nose piece structure with multiple axes of adjustment.
Wearing of eyeglasses and the like while engaged in vigorous activity can be difficult for various reasons. One reason is a fundamental inability of most eyeglass frames to remain properly attached to the wearer's face whenever the wearer is engaged in activity including rapid or extensive movements of the head and/or body. A conventional eyeglass having this disadvantage likely will become detached from the wearer's face in such instances, especially during activities which generate perspiration.
Another reason is a general discomfort associated with wearing eyeglasses in conjunction with a helmet, hat or other headgear, which is commonly worn when participating in vigorous activities, such as skiing, bike riding, rafting, climbing, motorcycling, etc. With many known eyeglass designs, nose pieces can be bulky or non-conforming to a user's nose such that when worn with a helmet, the nose can be uncomfortably and often painfully pressed against the nose piece structure. Further, some devices and mechanisms coupled to the nose piece structure and designed to keep the eyeglasses on the wearer's face act only to magnify this discomfort.
Another reason is the lack of adjustment features in many eyeglasses that prevent customization of the eyewear to the wearer's face. Such customization allows individual fitting of the eyewear to that wearer's individual facial profile for comfort and security when in use. Many eyeglasses today lack the customization necessary to adapt to various head shapes and ethnic profiles.
Many people wear eyeglasses for reasons other than, or in addition to, vision correction. Well-known examples are the large number of different types of “sunglasses” that reduce the intensity (and/or change the wavelength) of light reaching the wearer's eyes. Other well-known examples are so-called “safety glasses” usually used for eye protection against identified hazards in industrial, occupational and laboratory environments. Yet other well-known examples are various “goggles” and the like.
To address the concerns raised by the need for eyewear that will remain on the wearer's face during vigorous activity, various schemes have been adopted. For example, certain types of eyewear, notably goggles and certain types of eyeglasses, employ a strap, elastic band, cord, or analogous feature (usually adjustable) that extends fully around the rear of the wearer's head, rearwardly of the ears. Unfortunately, although these features are effective, they can be uncomfortable and are usually not favored for use when style is important. Also, eyewear with this feature is difficult to put on and take off, especially when the wearer is also wearing a hat or helmet. Other types of eyewear have temple pieces with metal-like, semicircular, “wrap-around” ear-engaging portions that curve downward fully behind the wearer's ears.
The prior art safety eyewear suffers from a couple of disadvantages. Specifically, the prior art does not allow for safety eyewear including a nose piece structure with multiple axes of adjustment. Accordingly, it would be desirable in the art to have a safety eyewear that includes a nose piece structure with multiple axes of adjustment.